Welt-measuring means for sewing-machines.



No. 877,859. PATENTED JAN. 28, 1908.

T. G. PLANT. WELT MEASURING MEANS FOR SEWING MACHINES.

ALPPLIGATION FILED D130. 3. 1906.

3 SHEETSSHEBT l.

No. 877,859. PATENTED JAN. 28, 1908.

' T. G. PLANT. WELT MEASURING MEANS FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILEDDEO. 3. 1906.

3 BHEETSSHEET 3.

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THOMAS G. PLANT, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS AS SI GNOR TO MANUFACTURERS MA CHINE COMPANY, OE MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY,

A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

-wnr.ramasnanve mans Fen SEWING-MACHINES.

gpecification ofl'lletters Patent.

Patented Jan. 28, 1908.

Application filed December 3,1906. Serial No. 345.993.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that-I, TnoMAs G. PLANT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bos ton, in the county of Suffolk Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in VVelt-lt Ieasuring Means for Sewing-- Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawa ings, is aspecification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts. i

This invention relates to sewing machines adapted to sew upon or in connectionwith. a

. use in connection with what are known as particular use nor to this embodiment therestrip offabric'or other material fed to the machine as the work progresses, the general object of the invention being to provide means for controlling the strip in such manner as to present always the required length ofstrip at the proper point at the required ime or times.

My invention is particularly adaptedfor welt sewing machines orwelters used extensively in the manufacture of boots'and shoes in sewing the narrow strip of leather commonly known as the welt to the upper and insole of the boot or shoe, preparatory to the application thereto of the usual outsole. When so used, m y invention isuseful, among other things, presenting at the required times the oropcr length of welt end to assist in the application thereof to the boot or shoe and also to guard againstunnecessary waste of welt. While this is the principal use to which I now contemplate putting my invention and shall, therefore, disclose my inven tion in connection with an embodiment thereof for this particular purpose, it is to be under,- stood, that my invention is not limited to this for but includes any use in connection wit and State of any strip for any purpose to which it may be adapted. I

My invention will be best understood from the following descri tionof one embodiment thereof well adapter for boot and shoe work.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a irontelevation of a welt sewing machine, adapted for welting boots and shoes, said machine being equipped with a device illustrating one embo diment of my invention; Fig. 2 is a detail of the welt controlling device illustrated I in Fig. 1, the parts being shown on an enlarged scale; Fig. 3 is a right hand elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 2, and Fig. 4: is a corner view, somewhat similar to Fig. 2,.sl1ow mg the parts in different positions. In the particular embodiment of my invention selected for illustration herein and shown in the drawings, referring first to Fig. 1, the machine to which my invention is sired type, the machine hereshown being of the curved needle is pe generally used in welting. In the mac ine shown, the curved awlis indicated at 19, the channel guide at 30, the looper is typified at 36, and the slide rest at 98, these and their concomitant parts being organized and operating in a manner well understood by those skilled in the art without further description herein.

Viewing the machine from the front, as in Fig. 1, at the left of the stitch forming devices is shown a welt cutting device 136, ada ted to cut or sever thewclt that has been applied to the shoe from the supply end there of, in order that the shoe may be removed from the machine. In the present instance this cutting device is such as shown in a coending application No. 336,465 filed by me ept. 26, 1906, it being suflicient here to mention that the said cutting device, is construct- .ed not only to cut but to hold the supply end of the welt in position to present the welt to the shoe next-operated upon, in order that it may receive the initial forward stroke of the needle without requiring the operative to hold said welt end between his fingers and the side of the shoe, as has been heretofore the custom This welt severing or cutting device is here operated by a chain 0, attached to the free end of a lever c, fulcrumed etc, on the machine bed and operated hya treadle rod 142, from asuitable ti'eadle 142 ,'oon

veniently. positioned at the base of the column of the machine. The usual welt guide is typified at 129, it being provided with means for moving it toward and from the work in a mariner customary in machines for I this purpose. At the tight of the machine,

as shown-in Fig. 1,'one of the standards 2, thereof, is provided with an an ularly positioned stud 300, u on which is ioosel r ournaleda pulley orrol er301,0ver whicht ewelt w is passed as it is led from the welt supply, wherever located, to the welt guide. This roller is flangedas shown that it may better guide the welt and prevent displacement thereof.

60 shown applied, may be'o f any usual or de- Y same being Above the roller 301, is an elbow lever 302, loosely fulcrumed upon a. stud 303, and which may be called a measuring lever, the rovided at its depending end with a loose y mounted roller or pulley 304, adapted to rest upon the-welt w. A spring 305, encircling the hub of said lever 302, bears at one end upon the, support for the stationary roller 301, and at its opposite end overlies said lever 302, tending to press said last mentioned lever normally downward as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, thereby to deflect the welt w in its line of travel between the stationary pulley 301 and the welt guide. The extent to whichsaid welt may be so deflected is limited by an adjustable stop shown as a screw 305 standing above said lever 302,-supportedin an ear 306 on thestandard of the machine. The horizontal end oi the lever 302 is shown connected b a chain 307 with the free end of a lever 308, ulcrumed at 309 on the bed of the machine.

This lever, intermediate its ends, is connected by a spring 310 with a drop rod 311, preferably adjustable as to its length at 312. This drop rod at its lower end is-connected to one end of an arm 313 on a treadle shaft 314 carrying the treadle 315. This device 136. The operative'now presents a shoe to the stitch forming mechanism and .starts his machine which, in the course of its operation, attaches the said welt in usual manner to the shoe. When ,the welt has been completely attached the operative stops he machine but he cannot remove the shoe without first severing the attached welt ortion from the su ply portion thereof lea ing to it through the welt guide. To accom plish this, the o treadle 315,-whic causes the elbow lever 302 to be'tipped into its 'osition shown in Fig. 4, thereby slackening t e welt between the stationary roller 301 and the welt guide and per:

. mitting the operative to carry the shoe to the lefta sufficient distance to engage the welt with the Welt cutting device-,Mhich is operated to cut the welt by the continued depression of the treadle 315 carrying the welt cutting treadle 142 before itjfl When the elbow lever 302 is tipped into its position in Fig. 4 to slacken the Welt and permit the latter to run in a straight line from the stationary roller 301 to the welt guide,

erative now depresses thethe horizontal arm. of said lever is brought down upon and is arrested by contact with the welt to at a point where it passes over the said stationary roller 301. The engaging surface of said horizontal arm (see Figs. 2 and 3) is provided with a suitable lockingsurface shown as a serrated shoe 316'the teeth of which face rearwardly and which serve to lock the welt against any further movement or travel in the direction of the welt guide or shoe. Thus, when the welt is slackened as described, the slack is wholly between the stationary roller and the shoe, the welt being looked as described where it passes over the roller so that the operative may withdraw the shoe and draw through the welt only to the extent permitted by the change in alinement' of the welt from the deflected line of Figs. 1 and 2 to the straight line thereof illustrated in Fig. 4. In practice, this deflectionis such as to furnish, when the welt is straightened, merely sufficient added length-of welt to permit the shoe to be removed to a welt cutting position, whether the cutting is erformed by a cutting device that is a art 0 the machine,

as herein, or otherwise, t e lwelt being there locked so as to prevent waste by drawing through more than needed. In the depresi sion of the welt measuring treadle 315 the elbow-lever 302 is moved into its welt locking position before the said treadle meets and moves the welt cutting treadle, and, further depression of the said measuring treadle 315 is thereafter permitted by the extension of the spring 310 for the urpose of depressing the welt cutting tread e. I

The supplyend of the welt is retainedas stated, held in the clamping part of the welt, h

severing device," so that as soon as the welt severed-and the shoe freed the o erative may release the treadle 315 without anger of losing the weltend, which remains heldin position for presentation to the-needle next shoe is to beoperated upon. 'When the said treadle 315 is released the elbow lever 302, under the action of its spring 305, re-.

when the sumes its n'ormal position (Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive) and again deflects the welt between the stationary roller 301 and the welt guide, this deflection causing an additional 'supply of welt to be drawn from the source to store theadded length needed for Withdrawal of the next completed shoe in the manner described. The tension of the spring 305 is sufficient to maintain the elbow lever in its position (Figs.- Ito 3 inclusive) during the operation of the machine, during which time the course of travel of the welt is in the deflected line-indic'ate'd. Adjustment of the stop 305* by varying the limit of the spring actuated do fleeting movement of the elbow lever 302 varies correspondingly the deflection of the welt and the resultant length of welt or distance through which the shoe may be withdrawn for welt cutting, The lower end of before the welt is cut, and this ma the welt to be cut.

said elbow lever, adjacent the roller 304, is providedwith a yoke 317, which embraces and prevents the welt bulging away from or becoming displaced relative to said roller 304.

The device described limits predeterminately the withdrawal movement of the shoe length where presented to the new shoe,

there is a saving in the operatives time which is now required for pulling back the welt needlessly drawn through the welt .guide in the act of removing the shoe and for properly positioning and seizing it before beginning upon a new shoe.

My invention, obviously, is not limited. to

the particular embodiment here shown forillustrative purposes, nor is it limited to the particular use herein disclosed.

In the claims the term welt is intended to include any strip of material and the term stitch forming mechanism to include any means for attaching this strip in position or to the work.

1. In a welt attaching machine, a welt measuring device comprising stopping means for limitin the withdrawal ofithewelt upon withdrawa of the work fromthe machine.

2. In a Welt attaching machine, a Welt measuring device'comprismg adjustable stopping means for. limiting the withdrawal 0 the welt upon withdrawal of the work fro the machine. i i

3. The combination with wen end holding means of stopping-means for limitin the travel. of said welt in the. direction 0 said holdingmeans.

4. The combination be so I withwelt cuttingand 1 welt end holding means of means for limiting the travel of said welt in the direction of said holding means.

5. A welt-measuring device comprising welt deflecting means, means for adjusting or regulating said welt-deflecting means so as to vary the deflection, means to sustain said welt to permit of such deflection, and

stopping means to limit the forward travel ofthe welt.

6. A welt measuring device comprising welt deflecting means, means to operate the deflecting means to permit the welt to be straightened, and a lock to hold the welt as it is straightened.

7. The combination with welt severing means of Welt measuring means, and com,

mon operating means for the two.

8. The combination of welt severing, welt holding and welt measuring means of means common to and for operating the same.

9. The combination with a sewing machine and welt guiding means therefor of welt measuring means for measuring the length of welt permitted to project'bevond the stitch forming point.

v10. The combination with a sewing ma chine of welt guiding means-therefor, and welt measuring means comprising a welt deflector and means to operate it.

11. A sewing machine comprising stitch forming mechanism, welt severing means at one slde thereof, and welt measuring means at the opposite-side thereof, and means to operate the same.

12. The combination with a sewing machine of welt guiding means and welt measuring means comprising a welt deflector,- means to operate it, and locking means to lock the measured welt against change.

13. The combination with a sewing machine of welt guiding means and'welt mcas urin -means com rising means predeterminate to change t e line of travel of the welt there y to vary the length of welt permitted.

to be drawn to the work.

-.In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS G. PLANT.

Witnesses: 1

FREDERICK L. EMERX, 1 ROBERT H. KAMMLER. 

